Last week, Oprah Winfrey had her Christmas giving show. You know, the one where all the audience participants are oblivious at the beginning of the show to the fact that they will go home with armloads, even truckloads, of wonderful goodies that Oprah declares to be her favorites. Wouldn't we all like to be a part of THAT audience!
Every year I say I'm going to make my list and send it to Oprah. The things on my list are a little more affordable, but no, I'm not going to buy one of everything on my list for everyone in my audience. It is comprised of those things that I have and use and love and generally can't do without (or don't want to). Some of them may have come at a high price in the end, or they might cost as little as a couple of dollars. But I like them all.
1. Brighton desk pen
They have bottles of water for you, too. Again, absolutely free. But these aren't just bottles of water; they've got Brighton labels on them. More smartness on their part. You probably won't drink your entire bottle of water while you're in the store, so when you leave (after spending what they hope will be copious amounts of money), you will be a walking advertisement as you pass other shoppers and they see your bottle of Brighton water.
Last year I was in Brighton one day with my daughter Kara, when I spied these beautiful pens. It was close to Christmas time and the girls always want to know what they can get me, and while I'm not that hard to buy for, they still want suggestions. I loved these pens, and when Christmas came, I was the proud owner of one of them, thanks to my girls.
This is not just any pen. It has a holder and I know there's probably a name for that in the pen world but I'm too lazy to google for that right now. It's a weighted holder of course, and it serves two purposes: It makes a handy place to keep the matching pen so it doesn't get shoved in a drawer never to be seen again under all the other crap in the drawer. And it's pretty! With a pen like this, that's important. A pretty pen deserves a pretty holder.
Another good thing about this pen is that it takes Bic Stic® refills. When your pen runs dry, just pull out the writing end and shove in another Bic Stic®. This is good because you can have a fancy pen without having to buy expensive refills.
2. Mentha Lip Tint
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Mentha makes several lip products that come in basically the same packaging, which is a tube that has a slanted applicator tip. The one I love is the Shine For Life Lip Tint in the pink tube with the Breast Cancer ribbon on it. Mentha donates a portion of the sales of this lip tint to the American Breast Cancer Foundation.
What makes this lip product so wonderful is that it's infused with peppermint oil in such a way that when you lick your lips or press them together while wearing this, it helps freshen your breath. As a dental hygienist, I'm super sensitive to breath issues. I'm not supposed to have bad breath, but of course I have this problem occasionally just like anyone else. I eat candy just like anyone else, too. I hope that hasn't tainted your view of me as a dental professional, but candy is good stuff and I have a weakness for it.
The lip tint also has just enough color to give your lips a boost. In my case, I really need this because if you take a picture of me bare-lipped, it looks like my lips have disappeared or something. This stuff just gives my lips a normal healthy look without making me appear to be enhancing them at all. Sneaky, eh?
3. Horticulture and The American Gardener Magazines
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4. Microfiber socks
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5. Amy Grant Christmas CDs
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But for some reason, the music that makes me feel "Christmas" is that of Amy Grant. She's done three Christmas CDs and I love every one of them.
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I've seen Amy in concert several times and all were outstanding performances, but I'll never forget the Christmas Concert my girlfriends and I saw in Indianapolis one year. It was magical and inspirational.
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Though not a classic Christmas song, Breath of Heaven gets me every time.
6. Sonicare Elite e7300 Power Toothbrush
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That said, here is the disclaimer: Sonicare is very easy to use, but it's not a miracle machine. You must use it twice daily, as directed, for best results. And it won't compensate for poor habits on the user's part (such as smoking, poor diet, etc.), but as far as cleaning products go, it's the best as far as I'm concerned.
7. Klaus Kobec Watch
I used to have a watch fetish and while I still love watches of all kinds, have quite a collection of them, and wear most of them at some time or another, I wear this one the most. It goes with just about anything and not only do I like it, most people who notice it do, too. If something ever happens to it, I'm sure I'll replace it.
8. Hershey's Nuggets Milk Chocolate Truffles
The chocolate outside of Hershey's Truffles is creamy enough by itself, but once you allow that to melt down to the truffle inside, creamy takes on a whole new meaning.
That's another thing - pure chocolate is never to be chewed, you must let it melt in your mouth until it's all gone. People who chew it shouldn't be allowed to eat it. They just don't get the savoring bit and that's a high crime in the chocolate world. It's downright chocolate abuse.
Oh, and chocolate doesn't cause tooth decay. It's the perfect candy.
9. Dell Inspiron 710m Laptop
I use it quite a bit here at home now that I have a wireless network, and I take it with me when I travel. I love my little Dellette. It feeds my addiction.
10. Book Thong
11. Crocs™
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I have a pair of white Crocs™ that I wear for work and now they've come out with Crocs™ Mammoth, which is their original shoe with a removable fuzzy liner to keep your feet warm for winter. I want a pair of these, too.
12. Dyson Vacuum Cleaner
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13. Memory Foam Mattress Topper
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We have a Comfortaire mattress, which I like, but the mattress topper makes it so much better.
I love my bed.
14. Pepsi ONE
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I love the carbonation and I like it best when it's out of a can (no fountain pop for me!) and so cold that it has tiny little ice crystals in it. If I do drink it out of a glass, which isn't very often if I can help it, I don't want ice in it. That dilutes the flavor and carbonation too much.
Pepsi ONE uses the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose) instead of NutraSweet (aspartame). I've found that my fibromyalgia pain is worse when I drink Diet Coke (my former love) with NutraSweet and while I'm aware that Diet Coke with Splenda is available, it's not very easy to find in our stores. I think Pepsi ONE tastes very much like Diet Coke. I don't like Diet Pepsi.
Who knew that one could be a connoisseur of canned pop?
15. Tweezerman Squeeze and Snip
Tweezerman is famous for their tweezers and their lifetime sharpening guarantee. I have a pair of Tweezerman eyebrow tweezers and when I needed to have them sharpened, I just packaged them up, sent them off, and they were back to me in no time.
I've had these snippers for several years now and so far they haven't needed to be sharpened and I use them all the time, mainly for this issue I have with a plantar's wart on the bottom of my foot. I won't go into that; it's literally a sore spot with me and for some reason the various doctors I've seen don't want to remove it surgically. With these, I could probably do it myself. Seriously.
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Romie is allergic to a lot of things, including dust, mold, trees, grasses, pollen, cats . . . Yes, cats, and we have eight of them. For the last three years he has been making weekly trips to the doctor's office for immunization therapy. One of the things that the allergist recommended that he feels really works to help keep the allergens down in the home is the Ionic Breeze Air Purifier sold by Sharper Image. So of course, we bought one, and later another.
We only have two cats in the house, with the rest only making it inside on occasion, and while his doctor recommended we not have any, he agreed that with everything else that Romie is allergic to, getting rid of the cats wouldn't make much difference. That's a good thing, because Romie likes them just as much as I do, maybe more.
I'm not allergic to much of anything except for bee stings, so these air purifiers are not a necessity for me, but I love them. I'm happy that they contribute to better air quality for Romie, but I also like how they make the air smell. In our family room, which is fairly large, I don't notice a difference in the way the air smells, but in our smaller bedroom, I love walking into the room and immediately getting a whiff of air that smells like spring. Yeah, it's that good.
My first one was red. The next one was white. Then came yellow, charcoal, blue, and bordeaux. Every season they offer them in a new assortment of colors. In the 15 or so years since I bought my first sweatshirt sweater, this is the one item in my closet besides my jeans that I reach for when I want to put on something comfortable. I've actually worn small holes in two of them.
I was glad when they started making these in petite sizes, because I have a problem with sleeves being too long on everything. It's not that my arms are short - I just have really narrow shoulders. Three-quarter sleeves rock.
18. Shop At Home Select
Rebate amounts vary by store, and some businesses give cash for certain kinds of transactions. When we joined NetFlix, we got $19.00 credited to our Shop At Home Select account.
I'm very particular about what I'll download and install on my computer and for the first year or so, I didn't install Shop At Home Select's shopping software. Then I decided to take the plunge and in the several years since, I've never once experienced a problem and it's very non-intrusive. They don't use your e-mail for other purposes, only for communication with you and for crediting your account.
So, if you think you might want to take advantage of this, and I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't, go here and sign up. It's free, and if you use my link, you'll get $5.00 with your first purchase and so will I. It doesn't really matter to me if you do or not, but who can't use an extra $5? And in this Christmas shopping season, you might just make enough money from rebates to buy yourself some new plants for the garden next spring.
19. Palm Z22 Handheld PDA
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I use mine religiously too - for playing Sudoku. That's just another of my obsessions. Or is it addictions? Whatever.
20. Romie, my husband
There you have it - My Favorite Things 2007. I'm sure you have your favorites, too. I'd love it if you did a post on your blog and came back and left a comment to let me know you've posted it so I can be sure to read your list. Maybe one of your favorite things will become one of my new favorite things. It might help me with my Christmas shopping, too.
18 comments:
Great recommendations Kylee! It's interesting to hear what people like. I've thought about an Ionic Breeze but it gets mixed reviews as far as actually taking bad "stuff" out of the air. But that "fresh air" smell would be welcome, just the same. (Even though we're without pets right now, the idea of a puppy is growing on me...)
And I love your sweater and footwear recommendations! Comfort is priceless. (I'm sorry to hear you have fibromyalgia.)
A very eclectic list, Kylee! Some of this is completely new to me--I've done exactly three purchases online, and I'm waiting for the third to arrive, a flash for my camera--and I'd never heard of Brighton, for example. But I'm going to seek out that memory foam mattress, to see if it helps me, too. And the info about the Pepsi One and aspartame is intriguing; I will try that and see what happens too.
I'll get to doing one of these lists sometime soon. Just finished helping the cats with their post, whichI will put up later today.
Enjoyed reading this post! Thanks for the heads up about Shop At Home...many of the places where I am currently doing my Christmas shopping are listed there.
Interesting to read your recommendations...BTW we cannot watcch Oprah Winfrey's show here. There was a smile on my face reading point 8 (it is also "important" to me, though another brand), point 12 (I fully agree as I am also very satisfied with it) and point 13 (I do sleep on a tempur pillow and this one I wouldn't give back again...as I have fibromyalgia too). My last or perhaps first point would also be "my" husband....for the same reason as you mentioned. I don't remeber who once quoted "people are different but they have a lot in common". So here we are, Kylee!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Barbara
This is a wonderful list! And I appreciate that the items are so practical. :)
Impractically, however, I have to recommend the Christmas Classics DVD Box-Set. The Christmas Classics have been my favorite part of the holidays ever since I was a kid. Every year for as long as I can remember I’ve always looked forward to wrapping up on the couch with my family and watching Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, especially. It's a really peaceful and warm tradition to follow.
I’m glad I don’t have to wait for all of the movies to come on TV this year, and can finally have all 7 classics together in one gorgeous package! And that bonus music CD is quite lovely if I do say so myself. You can buy this keepsake at any store where you buy DVDs, but it’s also available at http://www.christmasclassics.tv? I only know about it because I work with the company. This is something my family and I will treasure for many holiday seasons to come. And the beautiful packaging really does make it a special gift.
Happy holidays! :-)
What a fun idea to do a favorites list! And ambitious too. I'm so impressed.
You and I have one favorite in common--our Dyson's. Aren't they the best?!?! I have one for upstairs. I have one for downstairs. And I have the handheld one in the kitchen. I think I love Dyson.
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
It's funny but I've never been a "favorites" kind of person. I don't recall ever having a favorite toy, color, song, actor/actress, piece of clothing or anything like that. I'm very practical and while I do enjoy a lot of things, I don't really get attached to them.
I'm not really a gadget gal either, however I really like my cameras, but even then I couldn't pick a favorite. I did enjoy reading about yours though.
That's a great list Kylee. Kara and you both look so cosy and adorable with your microfibre robes. I think I'll try and track down the socks.
I am also going to try and find some Hershey Nugget Truffles. They sound delicious.
Oh my. Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven was just wonderful. I hadn't heard it for awhile. Thank you so much for including the video.
It's fun to read other people's wish lists.
I don't think I'd have much on mine... maybe I'll think about it.
Wonderful testament to your husband.
What a fun list, Kylee! And how sweet of you to end with a little tribute to Romie... too cute to see a couple who does so much together and is so happy after so many years of marriage. I love that. :)
By the way, this is neither here nor there but did you two ever go into Ottawa and have a beer at the old Romie's Corner? That bar was originally owned by (and named for) my uncle Romie... your Romie is the only other Romie I've ever heard of.
Thanks, I will give shopathome a try. A lot of the stores listed I already use, and I was just about to sign up for Netflix again for the winter months.
Kylee,
I'm with you on microfiber! I love the stuff. I have a California King bed, so I can't get the sheets. I'm hoping that soon someone will come out with the C. king size.
Crocs are another favorite of mine too. I hate to admit it, but I have 8 pair in various colors. Everyone tells me they are ugly and out of style, but they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever had, and at my age, comfort will out-trump good looking any day.
Same with the memory foam. I went all out and bought the Tempurpedic mattress a few years ago. Best investment I've ever made.
Seems like we like a lot of the same things. I'm glad you posted your favorites--I think they are more interesting than Oprah's.
Aiyana
Ditto on the Dyson. That's the only vacuum cleaner that I've ever actually enjoyed using.
I have the older model of Sonicare, but got lazy about charging it. Time to take it out and see if it still works. Thanks for the professional tip!
You've saved the best till last I see. ;-) Did you know that Oprah is nuts about the Phulips Sonicare Toothbrush too and that Philips is a Dutch brand?
And thanks for the good news about chocolate (non tooth decaying, hurray!!!
Great list Kylee but ewwwww and yuck to diet Pepsi and all other pop like that. Give me a nice cuppa tea any time of the day or night. Or freshly squeezed orange juice. Or wine.
I'm glad you have that 4 inch memory foam mattress topper to help you sleep. My friend Ella suffered from Fibro too and I know all too well how she needed a good night's rest, as you do too.
Kylee, you're in trouble. I've been a very good girl, trying to watch my sugar since it's been a little high lately, but I saw the chocolate truffles you mentioned and I bought a package, then a second package now I'm on the third package. Of course I'm sharing them, (though I really don't want to). Wow! Are they ever delicious! Next time, keep your chocolate secrets to yourself. Just teasing. Everyone here loves these. Thanks for introducing me to these tasty morsels.
The second Amy Grant Christmas CD is my traditional gift-wrapping music. My husband can't stand it, which is good insurance for him not being in the room when I'm wrapping his gifts, but that's not the reason I play it. :)
I have a Sonicare Elite toothbrush--my dad used to work for the company that makes them--and love it. (My husband also loves it--he complained "Now I can never go back because my teeth feel so much cleaner with the electric!") I've given them as gifts, and they seem like an odd gift at first, but people end up being so happy with them.
I just saw a photo of your kitty tweeted by Garden Sage, and you will be blown away seeing that we have twin kitties, apparently! If you look at my blogpost here http://getgrounded.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-april-2009/ and scroll down all the way to the very last picture, you'll see what I mean! Also, I just read this post, and serendipitously, I'm working on a project for fibromyalgia as well. I'm a natural doctor and putting together something for it...I was just surprised to see you mention it while I was looking for kitty photos. Robin at Getting Grounded
Klaus Kobec Watch is one of my favorite!
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